Ellis signs new contract

Cork City FC are delighted to confirm that Connor Ellis has signed a new contract with the club.

The striker, who is currently on a training camp at Fota Island Resort with his City teammates, spent the second half of last season on loan at Cobh Ramblers, scoring five times in twelve league appearances and he said he hopes to make an impact this season: “I’m delighted; I’m at a club that is pushing for the league title and has done well in Europe last year, so hopefully we can push on from the cup success last season.”

“I still have a long way to go but even in the first week of pre-season, I feel the game time I got at senior level last year (on loan at Cobh Ramblers) has helped me. I feel I am closer to the pace of the lads and, even physically, can hold the centre halves off a bit more. It is a big step up, so I just have to keep working hard and, hopefully, get some game time.”

“It is possible to progress through the underage system and get game time. It is a big step up from the Under 19s and you need to keep your head down and work hard. I want to try and force my way into John’s plans and try to get as many minutes as I can.”

City boss John Caulfield said he is very pleased to have Ellis on board for 2017, saying: “We are very happy to have another young, local player come through the ranks. Connor has been with us for quite a number of years and was prolific at Under 19 level. We obviously gave him a professional contract last year and loaned him out to Cobh, where he did really well and gained experience. He has come back from the break in tremendous condition and he is after filling out more. He has been in training since we came back and he has done very well; he is pushing for a place and we have very high hopes for him.”

“Sometimes people think the gap from Under 19s to the first team is a small one, but it is huge, particularly when you are challenging for trophies and playing in Europe. That’s why we have high hopes for Connor, because we can see that he is working hard and pushing for a place. As we have seen with other players who have come through the underage system, there is a pathway here for players but they have to learn the game and that is what Connor has done over the last year in particular. I think people will be surprised at how quickly he has progressed. I am just very happy to have him on board because I think he offers us a lot with his goalscoring ability, his pace and his workrate, so I expect him to have a major role this season.”